O Wilting Lily
by Aaringo
Summary: It's only been a few weeks since Vash the Stampede competed in the Quick Draw Tournement, but his absence from the public was long enough to introduce a tyrant called The Dragon to the wasted planet. Will this interfere with Vash's quest to find Knives?
1. Checker King

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Trigun or any of its characters... happy?

Originally, this was published sometime in 2003; I was planning to continue from where I left off when I realized how ghastly my writing was three years ago! xD

So, for your speculation and entertainment, I've decided to rewrite this lovely Trigun fic, (which is, in fact, my first.) I hope you enjoy the first chapter, and I'll know what to fix and what to continue if you review! (nudgewink)

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**"Checker King"**

All in the saloon was silent.

The only noises were the creaks of the wooden floor as people shifted their weight, the chinks of drinks being set on tables, and the 'tapping' noises of nervous, restless feet.

Everyone in the saloon was crowded around a single table - even the bartender, who should have been making drinks - where two occupants sat facing each other. The  
man was rather tall and threatening; his veined arms were bulging with muscle, and his violet eyes were vicious. Even his hair - black and sleek with grease- made people grow apprehensive.

Sitting opposite this savage man wasn't some bounty hunter or a legendary gang leader, like some might have assumed; in fact, the one occupying the other chair didn't seem extraordinary in any sense. But while the man's fierceness scared people off, there was something about the tall woman that drew customers in like spiders to a fluttering moth.

It wasn't her reddish blonde hair; after all, light tints were expected under the constant surveillance of the Twin Suns. It definitely wasn't her skin, even if was fair and aging women would die for its youthful appearance. Perhaps it was the single, defined black streaks in her bangs - they seemed so out of place compared to her otherwise normal appearance.

Sweat dripped down the man's forehead and his violet eyes were screwed up in concentration.

His brown hands were shaking ever so slightly and he swallowed a bit more then normal humans. The woman's brow was furrowed, and she was tapping her lips with a black-gloved finger. Both of them were thinking hard, but the man seemed terribly anxious while the woman simply puzzled; both eyes were looking down onto the table. Was it a battle of wills? An arm wrestling match? Or …

Maybe...

A game of checkers?

"Aha, I got your king! I win, I win!" The woman whooped, leaping up from her seat with a wide grin on her face. Her knees bumped the table, sending checker pieces everywhere, but no one noticed.

The tension that was in the saloon ceased and the people began to disperse from the table, either grinning at the prospect of winning a bet or sulking for losing it. The bartender himself looked disappointed, and he was forced to shovel a couple of double dollars to a smirking costumer. The fierce man looked utterly shocked at the results of the game, and he stood up.

"How do I know ya didn't cheat, eh?" The man said in a sonorous voice, his eyes  
narrowing at his competition. The woman, who was guzzling a drink in victory, looked at the man quizzically.

"How can you possibly cheat in checkers? It's chess you have to look out for, even if I don't know heads or tails of the game!" A few people chuckled as they sipped their drinks, while the woman heaved a small bag onto her shoulder to preparation to leave.

"I know yeh cheated!" The man pounded a huge fist onto the table, breaking it in two; the mighty CRACK that followed could have wakened the dead. A few people gasped and  
gave the man dirty looks, while others muttered "poor sport" under their breath as they hurried out the door.

"I neva lose in checkas! And don't none of ya leave, cuz this is gonna be a stick up!"

The tension came back almost as soon as it left, but it brought along something else; dread.  
Everyone froze in there spots, and their eyes became huge as the man pulled out a weapon.

Calling it a gun would've been an understatement - it resembled a miniature rocket, unfortunately with a trigger attached. It wasn't facing the people, predictably, but the woman. Maybe it was a trick of their minds, but most thought she looked quite calm … almost curious.

"Now, tell meh how ye cheated, missy, or I'll blow ya and dis play ta shreds!" He snarled, unattractive strings of saliva coming from his mouth. Obviously this man was a sore loser, and perhaps only God knows why such a dim-wit decided to play a heated game of checkers. But why wouldn't that woman admit she cheated and let them be? All of the people shifted their somewhat accusatory gaze to the man's target, hoping against hope they'd be alive to see the result of this fight …

After a single glace at her, however, those thoughts of doubt were blown from their heads. Her white dress shirt intensified her black stripes with the contrast,  
making her appear much more menacing then before. The grin that was at her lips was replaced with a frown, and she was reaching to her side.

"You know, people don't like poor sports." She tugged at something in her shoulder bag, and suddenly a long, lean, black crossbow was perched in her unwavering hands.

A foreboding silver arrow lay ready to be shot; its sharp point looked eager to dig itself into the man's skin.

"Or maybe that's just me."

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-Authors notes-

Phew! That didn't take too long, I'm proud to announce. :) I'm hoping my next chapter will be up sometime this weekend, because only God knows how I'd find time during the week. I have horrible timing with stories; 2 weeks before finals! Gah!

Please read, review, criticize, and do the hula!


	2. Pins and Needle Noggins

**Disclaimer:** Again, I don't own any Trigun characters. I also don't own an iPod …

THANK YOU for reviewing my work! I'd say you have no idea how much I appreciate it, but since you are fellow writers I'm sure you do :D As long as there is a single person that wants me to continue writing, I will do just that! And who knows, Technical Difficulty? ;)

For future notice, I'm not sure if any specific events take place in Juneora Rock in the anime … or if Juneora Rock is even mentioned in the anime. xD However, according to what I've read on Trigun forums, Juneora Rock is a small town between May City and Augusta in the manga. Sooo, I'll assume that's true for this story. :P

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**Pins and Needle Noggins**

Vash the Stampede was well known for the $$60,000,000,000 on his head, so it's always been assumed he wasn't afraid of anything. And with the ability to completely annihilate a city, many people wondered if he was even capable of fear.

Despite his malevolent reputation, Vash greatly benefited from this assumption; the more he was feared, the less likely he would be confronted by pesky bounty hunters (at least, that was his hope). Unfortunately, such a reputation never fazed the one thing he openly feared, the one thing that he'd try to avoid at all costs …

The short Insurance Girl's wrath.

"Excuse me, Mr. Vash the Stampede, but WHAT do you think you are doing?" Hissed the woman in a brisk manner, arms crossed and lavender eyes narrowed in his direction. As Vash was currently being pinned to the ground by the May City boys, he could only choke out a small reply:

"I wanted to … say … good-bye to … AIIIEEE!" The boy named Neil managed to twist Vash's arm nearly all the way around, making him squeal in protest. Shouts of "Yeah!" and "You could take him, Vash!" erupted from the pile of boys upon the helpless man.

"Vash was hitting on my mom again! And Dad's back too!" The boy looked up at Insurance Girl Meryl, his face flushed, but was surprised to see the fussy woman's face contorted in extreme annoyance. Vash, however, recognized the look well and braced himself.

"Mr. Vash, _how_ can you possibly think of doing such a thing when the bus to Juneora Rock is ready to leave!" Meryl scolded, a throbbing vein quite visible by her left temple. "Millie's been stalling the bus for five minutes, and all you can think about is donuts or playing with children or—or chasing skirts!" And Meryl took a swing and planted a punch on the outlaw's head.

"Now be at the bus in two minutes or we're leaving without you!" Finality etched in her words, Meryl trudged off. After a few seconds of silence, Vash let out a sigh and was relieved to know the assault was finally over (though his throbbing headache was only beginning). He was starting to think he'd rather have a bunch of boys wrestle his limbs loose then accompany her and risking another one, when two of these boys stepped into his line of view.

"You're such a mama's boy, Vash!"

"Yeah, and we thought you were cool enough to join our club!" The boys grinned with such devilish looks, Vash began to squirm with dread.

"Wait, wait, Insurance Girl, don't leave me! … AHHHH, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!"

………………

No matter how precious his Ford Angelina was to him, Nicholas D. Wolfwood found himself cursing it whenever its speed wrenched a cigarette out of his mouth. Paper cigarettes were an expensive luxury, after all, and he was more dependent on them then his beauty.

_I wish she was more dependable, though, _He grudgingly admitted to himself, puffing on a new cigarette as he leaned on his dormant bike. Once again, as soon as Wolfwood stopped to replace the fallen ash from his lips, the Ford Angelina refused to start again. Unlike the previous time it broke down, he was less then 20 iles from a city—in fact, he would probably be able to push his bike through the sand in hopes there was a local repair shop.

"I wonder what you're up to, needle noggin?" He questioned out loud, glancing up at the bright blue sky in thought. The priest only left the evening before, but he was well aware that Vash just needed a few hours to land himself into some sort of trouble. Of course, after their teamed effort of saving Neil and his mother, the most trouble Vash should encounter in May City is wrestling with the local boys.(_Those boys show no mercy, _he reluctantly remembered.) Or being threatened by Neil's father—his blue-haired beauty of a wife was hard to resist, after all.

Something was irritating the priest, though, and he couldn't push it from his mind despite all attempts:

_"What about 'thou shall not kill'?" _

It was that simple sentence that continued to echo in his mind; that single sentence that half-jokingly slipped from the legendary outlaw's mouth. It was so inappropriate from someone with such a high bounty on their head, it was just infuriating! If Vash didn't say anything, Wolfwood could have easily and peacefully killed all the bandits in May City in the name of a suffering child.

_"What kind of priest are you, anyway?"_

Why did it bother him so much? It wasn't like Wolfwood to suddenly take advice from someone he barely knew; in fact, it wasn't like Wolfwood to take anyone's advice! The first instruction he ever received has allowed him to survive for this many years, so why should a simple sentence suddenly throw his perception of the world and his actions off-balance? It was just down-right galling to think a spiky-haired, red-donned, legendary gunman had such influence over him.

His musings were interrupted, however, when he noticed that the Twin Suns were at their highest peak of the day and his throat was rather dry. Sorely wishing he didn't drink all the water the big girl gave him the other day, the priest assertively grabbed the handles of his bike and dug his feet into the sand.

"Well, needle noggin, I hope you're okay." He muttered to himself, shoving his bike through the sand towards town.

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-Author's note-

Vash, Meryl, Millie, AND Nick make their appearance! D How is this connected to my last chapter? You shall see … buahahaha …

Read, review, criticize, and take a swing dancing class! It's quite fun!


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